


Rise of the Spade Queen

by TheSilverPhoenix



Series: Hetalia Monday Challenge [2]
Category: Hetalia: Axis Powers
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Cardverse, Gen, Inspired by Alice in Wonderland, Nyotalia, Prophecy, hetalia monday challenge
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-14
Updated: 2020-09-14
Packaged: 2021-03-06 19:41:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,334
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26454325
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheSilverPhoenix/pseuds/TheSilverPhoenix
Summary: Alice Kirkland is a completely normal college student living a completely normal life, until she decides to follow the trail of a curious-looking, mint-colored bunny.
Series: Hetalia Monday Challenge [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2043730
Kudos: 7





	Rise of the Spade Queen

Spring had just begun to blossom on the grounds of World University. Flowers across the campus were in full bloom and decorated elaborate gardens and large lawns in brilliant colors, and the brutal chill of winter had finally given way to the gentle warmth of the new season. Students across campus ebbed their ways out of their cozy, winter studying nooks and took to spending time sprawled out on large picnic blankets laid out on the lawns - playing, studying, and hanging out with their friends in the beautiful weather.

Alice Kirkland was not one of those people. Instead of spreading out on the plush, green lawns of World University with friends, the young, British woman preferred the solitude of the complex, winding hedge maze at the edge of the campus. During the fall and winter months, the maze was abandoned and decrepit, as the hedges would wilt into tall walls of tangled brown branches, but during the spring the hedges regained their dark green leaves and blossom with an occasional blue rose. It was a comforting place and Alice often found herself wandering the twisting paths of the maze.

It was where she found herself now, hunkered down at a small, iron-cast table with a spread of books and papers before her and a steaming green tea in her hand. Midterms had come with the onset of spring and, though the warmer weather was more than welcome, the exams were not. Exams always made her high-strung, more so than she already was, and incredibly tired, so much so that she’d seriously eyed the espresso coffees at the coffee shop rather than the tea. The spread before her made her regret her choice. There was too much to do - too much homework, too much studying, too many projects. She’d never get all of them done on time. It was simply impossible.

Yet, she picked away at the work relentlessly, determined to get it all done and get it all done well.

She’d just taken the last sip of green tea when she saw it - a brief, darting flash of bright mint green out of the corner of her eye, sharp along the deep, dark colors of the maze’s hedges. Alice almost hadn’t seen it, and instead chose to write it off as a glare of the sunlight. Yet, she still found herself staring closely at the entrance to the small courtyard, waiting for another glimpse at whatever she’d just seen.

Just as she’d snapped herself out of the mindless staring, she saw it again - another flash of mint green darting past the archway of the courtyard entrance.

Alice set down the pencil in her hand and rubbed at her eyes tiredly.

Could it have been some sort of bug? Or maybe a trick of the light? Or just some sleep deprived hallucination? She certainly felt tired enough.

She picked up her pencil and looked back down at the book she’d been reading, trying to find where she’d left off.

“Late, late, late,” came a high pitched voice, echoing from the hedges nearby.

Alice’s head snapped up, searching for the source of the voice. It’d come from the direction the mint green blur had gone.

She placed her pencil back down. “Who’s there?”

“Late, late, late,” came the reply. It sounded closer than before. “You’re late, Queen of Spades.”

Alice stood up carefully and walked towards the archway of the courtyard, watching it with a cautious eye. A streak of mint darted by again, in the opposite direction.

“You’re very, very late.”

Without a second thought, Alice dashed after it. She followed it through the courtyard archway and into the maze, running around each twist and corner and bend as it darted around before it, never slowing or stopping as the light twisted in the sky above her and the warmth of the spring turned back into ice and chill. Reality itself seemed to bend the longer she raced after the mint blur. Day turned to night and lush hedges turned to barren trees.

Alice ran and ran and ran, fixated on the mint blur and unaware of the changes shifting around her. Until, in the blink of an eye, it evaporated into the air, leaving Alice behind in its wake.

As wisps of mint faded into the air before her, the bitter cold of the forest around her settled into her bones. Alice searched desperately trying to find the path she’d come from, trying to force down the panic bubbling in her stomach. She’d just been on World University’s campus, deep in the hedge maze, studying for her midterm exams, basking in the warmth of spring. How had she gotten in the middle of a cold, lightless forest? What was going on? How had she gotten here? Where was _ here _ ?

“Hello?!” she called out. For who she didn’t know. Panic set in as she looked around for someone, anyone to help her, but the forest was desolate and empty, with no one to answer her call. She could feel herself beginning to shiver as the winter air set into her bones. “HELLO?!”

Alice took a couple steps forward, searching for the mint colored thing that had led her here. Surely it was around here somewhere? And surely it could lead her back to where she’d come from.

“Why hello, dear Alice,” a voice purred from behind her.

Alice whipped around, eyes wide, searching for the voice. It was different from the one in the maze, but no less strange to her. She was met with nothing but the same dark forest she’d found herself in.

“Who’s there?”

“A friend,” the voice hummed. Above her, the mist of the forest gathered around the bare branches of a tree and swirled, until the formation of a woman with a striking appearance formed perched precariously on the branches above her. At first, the woman seemed to be merely a mirage, but as more mist gathered, the more her figure solidified. The woman’s hair was stark white, almost as pale and translucent as her skin, and her eyes were a bright, blood red. A wide, cheshire grin was spread on her face. “And an enemy.”

“How-what-” Alice gaped at the woman above her with wide eyes. “Who-”

“Be careful who you stare at, little Queen. Someone might want to take those eyes for their own.”

Alice froze in place, afraid that any sudden movements would make the stranger act on the threat.

“Don’t worry your pretty head off,” she continued. Her grin spread wider and a red tail flicked lazily in the air behind her. “Green isn’t my color. I prefer black much more.”

“Who are you? Where am I?”

The stranger chuckled and propped up her chin in her hands. “Why, you are in Hoyle. The land of the four Card Kingdoms. Far away from your precious little world.”

Alice could feel her heart drop from her chest and into her gut, where panic began to overtake her.

“What?!”

“Quite,” the stranger purred again. “If I were you, I’d follow the mint bunny.” With a flick of her wrist, and a small  _ pop _ , the mint blur she’d seen before reappeared, floating in mid-air. A small, fluffy bunny. “Well, little bunny, you lead her here. Now lead her out.” Mist began swirling around the branches and the trees, eating away at the stranger’s body. She turned her attention back to Alice. “Be careful where you step, little Queen, for your friends are never what they seem. And just beware the madness of the Clubs King, for it will bring darkness over your reign.” The stranger faded more and more as her words chilled the air. Only when her large smile was left, did she say her last words. “Plus, her favorite color  _ is _ green.”

Slowly, the broad smile faded into the darkness and all Alice was left with were the swirling words of the stranger, the coldness of the forest, and the bright glow of the green mint bunny.

**Author's Note:**

> This was for another hetalia monday challenge on tumblr! The prompt was Alice in Wonderland. I hope you all enjoyed!
> 
> Find me on [Tumblr](https://silverphoenixwrites.tumblr.com/), [Twitter](https://twitter.com/sil_phoenix), and [Pillowfort](https://www.pillowfort.io/silverphoenix)!


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